7-16-99 -- PNC Bank Arts Ctr, Holmdel, NJ

Date: Fri, 3 Sep 1999 00:35:52 EDT
From: Piper9050@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: Camden Review
 
I was reading the reviews here, some were calling it the best show ever,
others calling it the worst... if you weren't there, or haven't heard it,
I'll throw in my two sense:
 
First a brief word about the scene:  Absolutely no problems, I saw three
kids getting busted, including one who the cops had pinned to the ground,
shady:
 
Wilson-   Great opener, explored really nicely, good jam into
 
Chalkdust- For me, one of the highlights of the night, awesome jam that
ventured into strange and unique waters, it went into an awesome little jam,
then went into:
 
Roggae- A little letdown, but I knew they couldn't keep up the intensity
forever, standard version
 
Water in the Sky- make no mistake... this water raged!  Great Trey/Page
interaction on the jam.  You looking at setlists and wondering why they
played this at Great Woods next show, listen to the two verisons of this
song and you'll know why, very cool
 
Back at the Chicken Shack-  Never thought I'd hear this, get version and
awesome blues jam
 
Sparkle- Got the beat back up
 
Bathtub Gin- Yes!  There is no such thing as a bad Gin, and this one held to
the rule, had a jam of some song, the name eludes me
 
Golgi- a good closer
 
Overall I give the set a 7 1/2, good jams, and good selections
 
 
Tweezer-  Called it, and for those of you in the so called "anti-Tweezer fan
club", that's too bad because you miss jams like this it went into:
 
Mountains in the Mist- Like this song, cool harmonies and vocals
 
Birds of a Feather- Great great jam!   A typical summer tour Birds jam, nice
explorations, unfinished jam went into:
 
When the Circus Comes- another slow song?   Could have done without it,
but...
 
Fluffhead-  Best Fluff I've ever heard, there was more energy is the closing
jam than I've seen in a long time, great!
 
Guitar/Tweezer Reprise-  Great encore, this was a great show and I feel that
it was the best show of the tour since Atlanta(at the time) very good
 
Later
 
Tom

Date: 21 Jul 1999 08:53:30 -0700
From: tzander@etrademail.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Cc: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: 7/16 PNC review
 
7/16 This has to be one of the more interesting shows I've ever seen.  The
Sample opener was standard, I knew I was going to hear it as some point, and
that tune doesn't bother me as much as it bothers others who classify it in
the Bouncin genre.  There was not one 1st set song where I screamed at the
beginning of it because I was stoked to hear it. Dogs Stole, Vultures
LimbxLimb, and Beauty just don't do it for me as much as others do. Get Back
on the Train I enjoy more than all those. Maze after '94 has really never
taken me too far into the zone, lots of rushing: 'I'm trying to go somewhere
fast but I don't know where I'm going'.  Cavern is always a treat and a
somewhat decent recovery from an otherwise bazaar set.  I figured they
rocked too hard the night before and needed to chill and rest up for Oswego.  
I didn't particularly enjoy the set but still respect the newness and
variety compared to the night before. And the boyz love playing that new
style so it's nice to see them enjoying that style of play.  I don't get mad
at them for not catering to my tastes, except for when I can only see one
show a tour 8^)  SO basically I didn't know what the hell to expect from set
2.  They got me, as usual, and they like doing that.
             
Set 2 will most likely go down as one of the best single sets I have ever
experienced in my 25 years of living on this planet.  And not because every
song was played perfectly and not because each song can be compared to the
best version from a different year and tour.  This set will forever be in my
memory from the mere setlist alone.  Obviously everyone has their own
favorite tunes that they go nuts when phish bust them out. You heard
blood-curdling screams from my mouth at the beginning of every song except
Golgi (don't get me wrong, I enjoy a golgi).  2001 is one of the best groove
tunes phish plays and has refined over the years, a perfect way to start out
the set. And they had to play it because the dome-part of PNC looked like a
freakin spaceship! Also, PNC is so mello we hopped the fence and danced in
the aisle at the top of the seats-stupendous vibe there!  The original mikes
groove, I always like to say at the beginning chords of mikes, "I hope
you're not busy for the next 30 minutes?" There were obvious flubs in
hydrogen, but I kinda like it when they fuck up a little bit now and then,
makes me remember they're human! Just an all-out beautiful mikes groove.
Period.  I'm always a mikes>simple phan, and always pray for it, so when
they busted the simple right after weekapaug I busted a nut. This song has
such a happy, free floating great intensely positive vibe, I can't stop
smiling and jumping for joy when they play this.  Never to be disappointed
by a simple. And then Guyute. Bomb after bomb after bomb after bomb.  
Guyute is my all-time fave phish tune.  It actually was my license plate
until my car was stolen. A few flubs in guyute; who gives a shit? I'm on
cloud 420. Then the Lovin Cup, I'm a big phan of this one too. Lovin Cup is
great for arena rock settings, just turning into an all out classic modern
PHISH tune. Not like a Caspian.  I thought the set was going to end after
Guyute, then for sure after Lovin Cup, but a Golgi? Wow, the place went
nuts. You gotta love Golgi. The encore: vintage sarcastic phish, like the
meatstick and like all the times when marshall shows up. It's one of the
reasons why I love-em.  I figured they could have easily encored with Lovin
Cup after Born to Run, but they wanted to get it all done at once before the
fun-and-games.
             
Set 2 from 7/16 is THE REASON why phish is my favorite band in the world to
see live, it is the reason why I will fly 3000 miles to ring in the new year
with them.  That set reminded me of a drop-dead gorgeous new years run set.
Thank you so very much Boyz, and thanks to all the great people I
encountered the past 2 days. I have a newfound respect for jersey, a state
that gets busted on quite a bit.  Skipping out on Oswego, work's a calling,
but Shoreline in 2 months!!! Like an extended summer tour!  Always changing,
never know what's next.  thanks very much for reading. Feel free to email
me, enjoy your shows!
 
             todd
 

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 23:03:26 EDT
From: GoalieBoy3@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7/16 Review
 
Hey,
This was an extremly mellow set, but after the opener, it was quite good. Set
2 just kicked ass as most anyone will attest to.
 
BTW. Set 1 sounded very Spring/Summer 97 (which is cool), and Set 2 was old
school (even better!)
 
Sample: Blah. Again the boys sense the pathetic crowd that was at PNC and
opened up with this. At least it clocked in at about 4 minutes.
 
Beauty of my Dreams: Exactly what I wanted to hear even though the song had
not crossed my mind in months. Cool little tune.
 
Dog Stole Things: Alright, another first timer. This was really cool. A great
song, and while heavy, it is pretty mellow. Ok, that made sense.
 
Limb by Limb: Absolutely beautiful. I thought the jam was sweet. Trey was
having a blast, as was the others, as was myself and hopefully the rest of
the crowd.
 
Billy Breathes: Another song I knew we'd catch tonight (Get Back, Mike's and
2001 were the others), and one I wanted to hear. So pretty.
 
Vultures: Here's where the fun started. This tune is sooooooo awesome.  I've
obviously never heard this live, and a good amount of the people have given
it good reviews as one of the better songs to come out of  97. I agree.
 
Get Back on the Train: Sweet. I think this is the best new Trey song in the
mix.  The funk is so deep.
 
Maze: This was very good, but I will never see another Maze like 12/30/98.
Anyway, the jam was still quite nice as are all Maze jams.
 
Cavern: Lots of energy to close a pretty mellow set with the excpetion of
Maze. I give it a 7.  yet, I knew they were gonna pull out all the stops in
Set 2 and I was right.
 
Set 2
 
2001: Of course, after yesterday's miscue. This was great as are all 2001s,
they don't really differ much now. This segued into
 
->Mike's song: Yes, knew it was coming. The funk was prominent again like the
Merriweather Mike's.  Out of the jam, Fish starts kicking the Hydrogen beat
and I go nuts cause I wanted to hear this incredibly badly.  Yet the rest of
the band kind of noodled around, until Mike, then Page, and then finally Trey
(after he stopped the damn effects), started in on the theme.
 
->Hydrogen: What can I say? Possibly the most beautiful Phish tune out there.
I closed my eyes until Trey fucked up the ending, but he made up for with a
sick
 
->Weekapaug: This was not your ordinary Groove. This was 100 times better
than the Merriweather Groove. Damn, 2001 tease, raging and wailing by Trey
and Page at the same time, Mike slapping away, and then sick funk... God damn
this was the highlight of the night I believe.  I'm assuming there was a
petit glowstick war here.
 
Simple: Well, I thought we were getting a Mike's>Simple, so this was just as
phat.  During the jam, they kind of went crazy which sounded a little like
DEG (I know there was no tease). But it mellowed out again and ended.
 
Guyute: This is being overplayed unfortunately cause it's such a cool tune.
But I enjoyed it anyway.  Not as tight as Merriweather Guyute (sorry for all
the comparisons to that show, but lots of the same songs showed up here).
 
Loving Cup: Oh hells yeah! I've never heard the jam in this song sound so
awesome. Trey was on fire.  and just when you think this great song is gonna
end this unbelievable set, out comes a segue into....
 
->Golgi Apparatus: Yes. Yes. Yes. Lights were spectacular and Trey finally
gets the ending right. what a set.
 
I give this set a 9.5, deducting points for the Hydrogen fuck up and some
sloppiness in Guyute (i'm an asshole I guess, but not as harsh as some other
people!)
 
Encore:
Trey teases us thinking maybe Bruce would come out??? haha. Anyway, "a great
songwriter of his generation" and "the son of jersey"
TOM MARSHALL!!!!!!!!!!
 
sings...
Born to Run: Great! Although I think Tom fucked up the lyrics here and there.
I don't know. It was just fun. what else can you say when Tom takes the
stage? It's always fun. He was even sporting the red bandana. What a guy!
 
Great run at PNC. I hope people will be talking about this run for a long
time.
 
Peace,
Dave Salvo

Date: 17 Jul 1999 15:06:27 -0700
From: tzander@etrademail.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Cc: phish@phish.net
Subject: PNC 7/15 & 7/16 Review

7/16 This has to be one of the more interesting shows I've ever seen.  The
Sample opener was standard, I knew I was going to hear it as some point, and
that tune doesn't bother me as much as it bothers others who classify it in
the Bouncin genre.  There was not one 1st set song where I screamed at the
beginning of it because I was stoked to hear it. Dogs Stole, Vultures
LimbxLimb, and Beauty just don't do it for me as much as others do. Get Back
on the Train I enjoy more than all those. Maze after '94 has really never
taken me too far into the zone, lots of rushing: 'I'm trying to go somewhere
fast but I don't know where I'm going'.  Cavern is always a treat and a
somewhat decent recovery from an otherwise bazaar set.  I figured they
rocked too hard the night before and needed to chill and rest up for Oswego.  
I didn't particularly enjoy the set but still respect the newness and
variety compared to the night before. And the boyz love playing that new
style so it's nice to see them enjoying that style of play. I don't get mad
at them for not catering to my tastes, except for when I can only see one
show a tour 8^)  SO basically I didn't know what the hell to expect from set
2.  They got me, as usual, and they like doing that. Set 2 will most likely
go down as one of the best single sets I have ever experienced in my 25
years of living on this planet.  And not because every song was played
perfectly and not because each song can be compared to the best version from
a different year and tour.  This set will forever be in my memory from the
mere setlist alone.  Obviously everyone has their own favorite tunes that
they go nuts when phish bust them out.  You heard blood-curdling screams
from my mouth at the beginning of every song except Golgi (don't get me
wrong, I enjoy a golgi).  2001 is one of the best groove tunes phish plays
and has refined over the years, a perfect way to start out the set. And they
had to play it because the dome-part of PNC looked like a freakin spaceship!  
Also, PNC is so mello we hopped the fence and danced in the aisle at the top
of the seats-stupendous vibe there!  The original mikes groove, I always
like to say at the beginning chords of mikes, "I hope you're not busy for
the next 30 minutes?" There were obvious flubs in hydrogen, but I kinda like
it when they fuck up a little bit now and then, makes me remember they're
human! Just an all-out beautiful mikes groove. Period.  I'm always a
mikes>simple phan, and always pray for it, so when they busted the simple
right after weekapaug I busted a nut. This song has such a happy, free
floating great intensely positive vibe, I can't stop smiling and jumping for
joy when they play this.  Never to be disappointed by a simple.  And then
Guyute. Bomb after bomb after bomb after bomb. Guyute is my all-time fave
phish tune.  It actually was my license plate until my car was stolen. A few
flubs in guyute; who gives a shit? I'm on cloud 420. Then the Lovin Cup, I'm
a big phan of this one too. Lovin Cup is great for arena rock settings, just
turning into an all out classic modern PHISH tune. Not like a Caspian. I
thought the set was going to end after Guyute, then for sure after Lovin
Cup, but a Golgi? Wow, the place went nuts. You gotta love Golgi. The
encore: vintage sarcastic phish, like the meatstick and like all the times
when marshall shows up. It's one of the reasons why I love-em.  I figured
they could have easily encored with Lovin Cup after Born to Run, but they
wanted to get it all done at once before the fun-and-games. Set 2 from 7/16
is THE REASON why phish is my favorite band in the world to see live, it is
the reason why I will fly 3000 miles to ring in the new year with them.  
That set reminded me of a drop-dead gorgeous new years run set. Thank you so
very much Boyz, and thanks to all the great people I encountered the past 2
days. I have a newfound respect for jersey, a state that gets busted on
quite a bit.  Skipping out on Oswego, work's a calling, but Shoreline in 2
months!!! Like an extended summer tour!  Always changing, never know what's
next. I love you guys. I congratulate anyone patient enough to read this
whole thing, thanks very much for reading. Feel free to email me, enjoy your
shows
 
todd

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 13:43:43 -0400
From: Susan Cox gottoski2@email.msn.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7-16-99 review

    Well last night was a very odd show.  Just a quick overview of the
songs.

    Sample-  To me it seemed a little soft.  It didn't have the edge like
some other samples i have heard.  I was dissapointed.

    Beauty of my dreams-it was a little weak.  It didn't really have a good
kick in it.  I am stilll waiting for this concert to get going.  I liked the
lemonwheel beauty better

    Dogs stole- I like this song.  It needs a little spice in it though, i
like the lyrics.  Pretty mellow song.

    Limb- i am not a big fan of the song.  I could do without it.  So far i
was getting mad.  It my last show of the tour and it hasn't been a great
show.   Limb had a nice little solo, it was decent.

    Billy Breathes- I liked this song so much.. Its such a sweet melody. I
am really into the solo in the end.  Poor place ment though.  But good song
well done, i knew something good was next......

    Vultures- This song was cool as hell.  I really got into it.  Great
solo, welcome anytime into a set for me.   Again it had a sweet little
jam.

    Get Back on the train- this song really helped the set out.  It is a
reallyu cool bluesy song, just a good rhythem and awesome song.  Its as cool
as meatstick is if not better.

    Maze-  This song really was great.  Awesome jam.  Realllygot me goin and
the crowd.  Never heard this in all of my 8 shows so it was a pleasent
surprise.  CK5 was awesome in this song.                    

    cavern-  Always good to hear, there was a lot of energy in this one.

    All in all the last half was better then the first half of the set.

    2001- Always good to hear, it was really solid had a good groove to it,
spacey at the same time

     Mikes song-  This was great- very  very very solid- alot better then
7/9/99 at merriweather- i didn't know how good it was going to be due to the
poor version at merriweather,

    I am hydrogen- this song is absolutly stunning- its is so fluid it isn't
funny, beautifuly composed.

    Weekapaug-  crazy version- mike was poundin hard- he got the groove goin
while trey fish and page kept a phatty groove,        

    Simple- always good to hear, this song was nuts nice moderate jam to
it.

    Guyute- it was standard- always good- nice and solid

    Loving cup- the crowd went soooo nuts- the band was on now

    Golgi-it was basic but good.

    Born to run-this was so awesome- hilarious- my first marshall definately
good

all in all it was a solid show
-ev       

Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 19:56:19 -0400
From: "Kresge, Matthew S." MK201924@wcupa.edu
To: "'dws@www.phish.net'" dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7-16-99 or7-2-94?
 
I'm sure some of you picked up on this, but for those who didn't, phish
played a VERY similar second set to the second set they played 5 years ago
at the same venue. Any guesses if this was a conscious effort?
BOTH shows had 1) a 2001 opener followed by 2) a Mikes groove, 3) a Simple
(although in '94 it was in the Mikes groove instead of after it), and then
4) a 2001 tease at the end of BOTH the '94 and "99 Weekapaug!  Not to
mention the fact that they played both a Golgi and a Sample at both shows.
Just some food for thought. 'It makes me wonder".......

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 12:36:10 EDT
From: Gradzely@aol.com
To: dws@gadiel.com
Subject: PNC 7/16

The encore at the 7/16 show... Trey said that he and Page were from around
here and that the venues around are where they saw their first shows.  He
then spoke of the great Bruce Springstein and Tom Marshall came out for
Born to Run.

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 03:40:14 -0400
From: Erik and Elizabeth Swain eswain@bellatlantic.net
To: dws@archive.phish.net, dan@netspace.org, dave.hull@erols.com,
     carl_lindberg@blacksmith.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.phish
Subject: REVIEW: 7/16/99 Holmdel

This was my 9th show, 3rd this year (after Camden and 1st night
Holmdel.) This was possibly the worst first set I have seen. But it was
probably the best second set I've seen. And it was definitely the
funniest encore I've seen.

As with the 15th, I got my ticket from David Hull. For this show I was
to be sitting with him, so I met him and his friend Drew in the lot,
which I didn't get to until about 5:40 (took longer than Thu. because of
Jersey Shore traffic on the Parkway.) They were kind enough to offer me
burgers and beer. We got our tix - 22nd row in the front section, Trey
side - from Will Call. We arrived in our seats just in time for the
mandatory (because it's a state-owned facility, despite the corporate  
name) National Anthem. (Prerecorded, not Phish a cappella.) Remember a
few years ago when Sinead O'Connor refused to go on because the venue
played the National Anthem? That was this place.

Set I -  band emerges at 8:15 and breaks into...

Sample - OK, I'll admit I like this AS A SONG, not necessarily as a
concert selection, but best to get it out of the way now so it can't be
a buzzkill like Bouncin' was the previous night.

Beauty of my Dreams - eh. If they're gonna do bluegrass, I'll take My
Mind's or Blue & Lonesome.

Dogs Stole Things - standard. Notice the troubling pattern here.

Limb by Limb - my first. OK, here's where you'd expect things to take
off. Wrong. This song is always welcome, but this version was kind of
flat. It offered nothing you haven't heard from an LxL before.

Billy Breathes - Love the song. Hate the placement. A momentum builder
is badly needed, and this ain't it. Some nice Trey soloing at the end,
but otherwise standard.

Vultures - always seems to crop up in the same sets as DST. Nice to
hear, prettily played, but doesn't have the kind of bite we're looking
for right now.

I'm starting to get really bummed and wondering if the band is still
burned out from pushing the envelope the previous night. Granted, the
previous night makes many other shows look slacking in comparison, so
perhaps our expectations were too high, but still, 6 songs and no
fireworks is troubling. Then they start a funk groove I couldn't
immediately identify, and it was...                          

Get Back on the Train - finally, our first interesting group interplay.
Nothing spectacular, but they're jumping around each other playfully
while staying solidly midtempo. Think Clapton's "Lay Down Sally." Nice
to see what they've done with it in an electric arrangement.

Toward the end, the crowd starts clapping out a beat, as if to get the
band psyched up. It must've worked, because then furiously hits the high
hat to start...

Maze - while not as intense as the other two I've seen, 5/2/93 and
6/25/95, this one had plenty of spark. Page was a demon on the organ,
Trey noodled on his keys for a while, and the jam built to a satisfying
climax.

Given the shortness of many recent sets, I was expecting that to be it,
but Trey turns to Fish and tells him to start...    

Cavern - which he does with a vengeance. He was pounding it out HARD.
This song seems to follow me around (5 shows of 9), but this version was
worth hearing just for Fishman's playing alone. He inspired the others
to attack their parts with equal vigor. At the end, Trey waved his
guitar to emit feedback like he did at Tweeprise from Camden.

Then they walk off at 9:21.

David, Drew and I sit down, and we're puzzled. How could they be so
listless? In previous sets I'd seen this year, they had gone out of
their way to spice up "routine" songs, or at least one member would put
an extra effort into a solo or riff. They had ample chance to do any of
that in the first 6 songs here, but chose not to. They finally got it
together for the last three songs, so the set wasn't a total waste, but
it was mighty disappointing. The overall theme was "songs I like, but
don't necessarily want to hear in concert." Maze excepted, of course.

We figured there were three possible reasons, or maybe a combination:

1. They were still fried from the previous night.
2. They were holding back to save energy for Oswego.
3. They were restraining themselves in the first set so they would have
plenty left for the special things they planned to do in the second set
and encore.

Needless to say, we were all hoping it was #3. But David and Drew
decided to hedge their bets. They left their seats for a spot on the
lawn near an exit, fully intending to walk out if the second set was
looking as lame as the first.

That turned out not to be necessary, to say the least.

After a 56 (!) min. setbreak, the band reemerged at 10:17. The crowd has
built a chain of glowrings from the top of the pavilion down to the 
stage, and perhaps that inspires the band because they break into a
spirited version of...

2001 - we called it. It was due, and it was probably supposed to come
the previous night, but Fish and/or Mike screwed up and started SOAMelt
instead.
This was a particularly mesmerizing version, clocking in at about 13
minutes. Tight, funky, a little spooky, everything an Also Sprach is
supposed to be. The energy level, from the crowd and the band, was eons
past what it was in the first set. This eventually faded out, and
into...

Mike's Song - YES! Just what we need! It started off much slower than
normal, but soon it was up to its usual pace. The jam section got very
dissonant, with Trey fooling around more on his keyboard. The noise made
me think "What's the Use" might be ahead, but all the while Fishman was
tapping out the drumbeat to..                                        

I am Hydrogen - my first. A long, slow version emerged from the
dissonance. Not quite as good as 11/22/97 Hampton, but not far from it.
And then...

Weekapaug - this is a must-hear. I can't think of a better version other
than 12/31/95. It was just as good as the YEM from the previous night.
Mike just POUNDED the bass on his opening solo with a frenzy I can't
remember seeing before. The song just kept getting faster and faster,
with some incredible lightning-quick soloing from Trey (including a 2001
tease, duly noted on my setlist sheet), and then another, even more
spectacular bass solo from Mike. He was thumpin' it Bootsy Collins
style. I'm hard pressed to come up with a better performance from Mike
on any song. This will be mandatory listening for PLM people. And all
throughout, the others kept up with him, pushing the song to incredible
heights.
Some nights the Mike's carries the Groove. Tonight, it was the   
Weekapaug.

Once the Groove had run its course, the band was on such a roll that
they had to keep jammin', so they went into...

Simple - Hard, hard, hard. Nothing flashy or lengthy about it, just
kicking ass and taking names. And then the next bomb...

Guyute - wow, this set is relentless. How can they keep it up? This was
wonderfully played, with Trey adding extra vigor to his solos.
Mind-blowing. Then we thought things would settle down when they went
into...

Loving Cup - but no. This was the loudest, most jammed, and most raucous
Loving Cup I've ever heard. The word that came to mind was "raging" -
not something I usually associate with this song. Trey's solo was just
out of control. The crowd was bananas.                       

That had to be it, right? Famous cover, major crescendo, perfect way to
leave the stage. But as the jam dissolved, Trey counted out another
song...

Golgi - In case the crowd wasn't already enough in a frenzy. Standard
version, but I was grateful because, to me, it was really a bonus.

Then, they left the stage at 11:32. One hour and 15 minutes of mayhem.
Everything the first set lacked, this made up for. It was full of energy
and spirit - probably the most pumped-up set I've seen since the 2nd set
of my 1st show, 5/2/93. Not as awe-inspiring as the best jams from the
night before, but much more fun.

At 1:36 the band re-emerges and Trey launches into a story about growing
up in NJ and seeing concerts at this venue and the Meadowlands, and how
much he listened to the guest coming out, "the greatest songwriter of 
all time, who also happens to be from Jersey." HUGE ROAR from crowd. Now
we know Mr. Springsteen is a bit busy with his own shows at the moment,
so this could only mean...

Born to Run - with Tom Marshall doing his Springsteen impersonation!
This was SO funny. I was laughing my ass off the whole time. He had the
look down (being tall and having dark hair helps), from the headband to
the tight Levi's, and even did a few moves from the "Dancing in the
Dark" video. (Alas, no Courtney Cox.) His vocal was horrible, but he was
probably drunk, so what can you expect? The band duly plowed through the
song, then Bruce... er, Tom... left the stage with a series of arena
rock cliches, tossing the headband into the crowd, and having a
"personal assistant" throw a towel around his shoulders as he jogged
off. If he decides to give up computer programming and singing, maybe he
could take up acting.

This was my 2nd Tom appearance, after "Champagne Supernova" on 12/29/96.

I've never seen a show start so badly and finish so well.
Was this better than the 15th? Depends on whom you ask. They are two
different animals. The 15th was for the serious jamming. The 16th was
for the party (Most of the dancing types did not seem nearly as
disillusioned by the 1st set as I did). I lean toward the 15th, but
others may feel differently. They really should be listened to as a
pair, like the Hampton shows from last year.
Now, if they had grafted the first set of the 15th on to the 2nd set of
the 16th - or, better yet, replaced Bouncin' & Chalkdust in the 2nd set
of the 15th with tonight's Mike's Groove - and added the Born to Run
encore - THAT would have been a show.
But we must make do with what we got, and both shows have plenty of
rewards to offer. Camden, too.

This concludes my Phish concertgoing for now. Can't wait to see them
again.                                                               

Erik

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 01:47:21 EDT
From: KewlBean57@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: review of 7-16-99

I don't really have time to write a long review, but I would like to throw my
two cents in.  A great show opener with Sample which led nicely into a song
in which I haven't heard live yet.  Beauty of My Dreams.  Then Dog Stole
Things which was very pretty.  Then came my favorite song from the album
Ghost.  "Limb by Limb just made me shiver all over and the chills kept with
me all throughout Billy Breathes.  Vultures, another new song in which I
haven't heard yet got me excited once again.  Get Back on the Train, sweet.
A beautiful and intense Maze led into Cavern just ended a great first set.

The second set was just simple awesome!  2001 is near and Phish just loves to
jam out on this one.  Mike's Groove was probably the best one I've hear so
far, including that sweet tease with 2001 at the end.  (that was sick!)
Simple was one of my first Phish songs so I will always enjoy a good jam on
that one.  Excellent Guyute except when that guy ran on stage.  He sort of
ruined the song for a brief second.  He got tackled by the security guard,
dumbass.  Anyway, into Loving Cup, one of my favorite encores, got me back on
track and it was POWERFUL!  A great concert song.  The set ended nicely with
an enjoyable Golgi Aparatus.  My friend sitting next to me called it because
he saw Trey mouth it to the band.  Excellent call Mike.

The encore was one not to miss.  BORN TO RUN BY THE BOSS....BRUCE
SPRINGSTEIN!!!!!

Ok, well it is 1:52 am, and I am off to Oswego.  I just had a small time gap
for a small internet session.  Take care and enjoy the rest of the tour. 

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 01:07:11 EDT
From: Sisguffy@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: show review

Tonights show....7.16.99.....AMAZING!
My first phish show...and ive loved the band since 1993.  Maze....was
absolutely mind blowing...2001  WAY TO GO BOYS!  Tom marshall!  what can i
say  Hell yeah!   But wasnt there another song after born to run???? 

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 00:46:19 EDT
From: GoddardVT@aol.com
To: dws@archive.phish.net
Subject: 7/16 Review

Hey there,

I'm going to make this kind of quick because I just got home and its time to
start partying again....

Arrived in the lot at 6:30, and chilled on the grassy nole for a while. The
scene was really laid back and I didn't see any cops at all. Now for the
show...

First set was average at best. I couldn't really get into the Sample opener,
but it was still pretty cool. The rest of the set was blah except the Limb by
Limb jam, and the Maze which was pretty rockin. The band seemed pretty sloppy
on all composed sections of songs, but did their thang during the jams. 

Second set.......holy shit! This was the best set of Phish i have ever
witnessed! I was calling the 2001 since I went to Camden. I just knew that
they would play it to open the second set. Everything was undescribable. The
set just blew my mind especially Mike during Weekapaug. He was on fire! Mr.
Michael Jordan at his best!! :-) The Guyute was great too. The encore blew my
mind! I knew it was either going to be Sabotage or a Bruce tune. Born to Run
was freakin nuts!!! It was the weirdest thing when Tom Marshall came out.
Everyone actually thought it was Springsteen himself....well atleast I
did....but then again it would be absolutely impossible cause he was probably
playing at that very moment at Brendan Byrne...anyway....

The whole night was just incredible. Thanks to all the fans for being great
and to Phish for being....well....Phish.

regards,

Luke Charleston           


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